


I Love You, Always Forever

by Tea_For_One_Please



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Fluff, I love these boys they're so soft, Long-Distance Relationship, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, Post-Canon, Songfic, this is a no-angst zone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23017456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_For_One_Please/pseuds/Tea_For_One_Please
Summary: Two months into their freshman year of college, Carlos goes to visit Seb in New York, and is reminded of how much he loves him.
Relationships: Seb Matthew-Smith/Carlos Rodriguez
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	I Love You, Always Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Some context I couldn't work out how to fit into the story:  
> \- They're both in their freshman year of college (so they're both 18/19);  
> \- Seb attends The New School of Drama in New York;  
> \- Carlos is also on a dramatic arts course, but at Southern Utah University;  
> \- So they've been maintaining a long-distance relationship.
> 
> For reference, the song is "I Love You Always Forever" by Donna Lewis, but I listened to the Betty Who cover for the inspiration for this story as I prefer it! Check it out, it's awesome.

_Feels like I’m standing in a timeless dream_  
_Of light mists in a pale amber rose_  
_Feels like I’m lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent_  
_Touching, discovering you_

As Carlos steps off the airplane, he takes a deep, shaky breath, barely noticing the musty smell of the boarding bridge, so preoccupied is he with thoughts of the person waiting for him at the gate. For something to do with his hands, he shifts his backpack slightly, so it sits a little more comfortably on his shoulders, suddenly anxious. It’s just properly hit him that he’s about to see Seb in person for the first time in over two months.

He squints as he steps off the bridge, the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the huge windows of the airport, and heads towards the ID checks – it’s only a few hundred yards, but he’s so nervous that it feels like several miles. He can picture Seb now, standing by himself, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, probably as apprehensive as he himself is feeling.

With his ID cleared, he bypasses baggage claim, heads through _Nothing to Declare_ , and it’s at this point that he can start to see a throng of people, all waiting for passengers from his flight. He scans the crowd, searching for a familiar head of blond hair.

When he finally spots Seb, unable to help himself, he breaks into a jog, dropping his bag seconds before Seb practically tackles him in a rib-crushing hug, laughing into his shoulder as he lifts him an inch off the ground and spins him around. Carlos laughs too, and before he can admonish him, Seb clasps their hands together, and pulls him into their first kiss in ten weeks and three days (not that Carlos has been counting).

_Those days of warm rains come rushing back to me_  
_Miles of windless summer night air_  
_Secret moments shared in the heat of the afternoon_  
_Out of the stillness_  
_Soft spoken words_  
_Say it, say it again_

_I love you, always forever_  
_Near and far, closer together,_  
_Everywhere, I will be with you_  
_Everything, I will do for you_  


When they first got together, nearly three years ago, kissing Seb was like fire – a new, exciting, slightly scary sensation, which always left a heat stinging the tips of his ears, like coming into a warm house on a frosty day. Now though, it’s like climbing into bed at the end of a long day, or watching a favourite movie for the hundredth time – the sensations are so familiar, but every bit as thrilling as they always were. Even hundreds of miles from Salt Lake City, as they break apart and press their foreheads together, craving each other’s touch, Carlos feels like he’s home. He has the presence of mind to stretch out a leg and pull his backpack a little closer to them, but still hears Seb’s whisper in his ear as he moves closer to kiss his cheek.

“I love you,” he murmurs, holding him tighter and burying his face into Carlos’ shoulder.

“I love you too.”

_You’ve got the most unbelievable blue eyes I’ve ever seen_  
_You’ve got me almost melting away_  
_As we lay there under blue sky with pure white stars_  
_Exotic sweetness, a magical time_  
_Say it, say it again_

As they wander through the streets of New York, Carlos can hardly take his eyes off Seb, happily pointing out various landmarks and points of interest that they walk past. He’s aware that he’s not fully paying attention to what exactly he’s saying, but he’s simply too distracted by the way the sunset catches his face whenever Seb turns to look at him, the light refracting in his eyes and highlighting the layers of grey and blue beautifully.

_I love you, always forever_  
_Near and far, closer together,_  
_Everywhere, I will be with you_  
_Everything, I will do for you_

Tired of walking, they collapse onto a patch of grass, cool but dry, a few yards away from one of the paths that meander through the park. Looking upwards beyond the boughs of the trees, Carlos feels for Seb’s hand and laces their fingers together, squeezing gently as they gaze into the evening sky, the first few stars starting to glow gently. Carlos smiles at a flashback to the summer, when they laid in this exact position in a park back home. He turns his head and sees Seb already looking at him, his face soft and his expression gentle.

“I missed you,” is all he says, and Carlos doesn’t need to answer. Seb knows.

_Say you’ll love, love me forever_  
_Never stop, never whatever_  
_Near and far and always and everywhere and everything_

As night falls, they head back to Seb’s dorm over the university. They prop up pillows and blankets and settle down together, playing a movie on Seb’s laptop in the background, but they don’t really watch it. They talk, and they laugh, and they kiss, sure for the first time that the distance between them isn’t a problem. And as the forgotten movie’s end credits roll, they make a promise to each other in the quiet stillness of the evening.

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”

_I love you, always forever_  
_Near and far, closer together,_  
_Everywhere, I will be with you_  
_Everything, I will do for you_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this self-indulgent little story. If so, please consider leaving a comment (doesn't matter how long!) or drop me an ask on Tumblr (my URL is @tea-for-one-please) and let me know on there!


End file.
